One of the centerpieces of a Balloon Fiesta is a mass ascension, when virtually all of the 550 balloons registered at the Fiesta lift off (obviously not all at the same time, but in several groups cluttering up the sky). This usually takes place fairly early in the morning, so that the weather conditions are optimum for flying.
The unique feature of the Fiesta in Albuquerque is the so-called "Albuquerque Box" – a term which describes the peculiar atmospheric conditions in which there is a wind current moving, say, southerly at, say, 300 feet above ground, while there is another wind current in the exact opposite direction at,say, 800 feet above ground. Thus a pilot can take off, rise a short ways and float off to the south, then rise still further and return to his point of origin. [Why is it called a "box?" Because if you look at it from the side, its path is rectangular.]
This first picture is of a part of the mass ascension, while pictures 2,3,4,5 are so-called "custom-shape" balloons.
No comments:
Post a Comment